China`s Airline Now Giving Priority To Foreign Travelers

October 02, 1988|By New York Times News Service.

Foreign travelers in China, on waiting lists or in long lines for domestic plane tickets, are now being given priority in getting aboard domestic flights. At the same time, local citizens and overseas Chinese visitors, including compatriots from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, will have to pay more to visit key tourist spots during the peak season.

To discourage local travelers from competing with tourists who pay in hard currency for scarce plane tickets, the State Council, China`s Cabinet, issued a circular July 14 ordering CAAC, the Chinese government airline, to give priority to foreigners.

It also abolished discounted air fares for Chinese citizens traveling to popular tourist places. The influx of visiting overseas Chinese and the start of school holidays in July have resulted in 90 percent of passengers on domestic flights being Chinese.

In the first five months of 1988 alone, China was host to more than 12 million tourists, 11.9 million of whom were overseas Chinese. In the scramble for plane tickets, foreigners not used to the system were often left stranded. Full fares for all travelers will apply to 56 of the most heavily traveled routes and will be in effect through Oct. 31.